Kagoshima Main Line

The Kagoshima Main Line (鹿児島本線, Kagoshima-honsen) is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it extended 393 km between its two termini; however, with the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen on March 13, the section between Yatsushiro and Sendai was transferred to the third-sector Hisatsu Orange Railway Company. The line is an important line in Kyushu, connecting Fukuoka (Hakata Station) to many other major cities. It is the main line through the Fukuoka urban district, and as such many long-distance express trains from all parts of Kyushu use the section between Kokura Station (Kitakyushu) and Tosu Station, where the Nagasaki Main Line meets the Kagoshima Main Line.

Kagoshima Main Line
Ariake limited express train
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefecture
Termini	Mojikō, Sendai Yatsushiro, Kagoshima
Stations	90
Operation
Opened	1889
Owner	JR Kyushu, JR Freight
Operator(s)	JR Kyushu, JR Freight, Hisatsu Orange Railway
Rolling stock	415 series, 811 series, 813 series, 815 series, 817 series, 783 series, 787 series, 883 series, 885 series, KiHa 72, Hisatsu Orange Railway HSOR-100
Technical
Line length	285.3 km (177.3 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	20 kV AC 60 Hz overhead
Operating speed	130 km/h (80 mph)
Route map

Mojikō station (terminus)

Stations

Mojikō – Arao

Numbering	Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Semi rapid[Note 1]	Rapid[Note 1]	Transfers	Location
JA  31	Mojikō	門司港	0.0	+	+	Mojikō Retro Kankō Line (Kyushu Railway Museum)	Moji-ku, Kitakyushu	Fukuoka
JA  30	Komorie	小森江	4.0	+	+
JA  29	Moji	門司	5.5	+	+	Sanyō Main Line
	Kitakyūshū Freight Terminal	北九州貨物ターミナル	6.9	-	-
	Higashi-Kokura Freight Terminal	東小倉(貨)	9.4	-	-		Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu
JA  28	Kokura	小倉	11.0	+	+	Nippō Main Line Sanyō Shinkansen Kitakyushu Monorail
JA  27	Nishi-Kokura	西小倉	11.8	+	+	Nippō Main Line
	Hama-Kokura Freight Terminal	浜小倉(貨)	13.4	-	-
JA  26	Kyūshūkōdaimae	九州工大前	15.3	-	-		Tobata-ku, Kitakyushu
JA  25	Tobata	戸畑	17.2	+	+
JA  24	Edamitsu	枝光	20.0	-	-		Yahata Higashi-ku, Kitakyushu
JA  23	Space World	スペースワールド	21.1	*	*
JA  22	Yahata	八幡	22.2	+	+
JA  21	Kurosaki	黒崎	24.9	+	+	Chikuhō Electric Railroad Line (Kurosaki-Ekimae) Fukuhoku Yutaka Line	Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyushu
	Higashi-Orio Yard	東折尾(信)	26.8	-	-
JA  20	Jinnoharu	陣原	27.1	-	-	Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
JA  19	Orio	折尾	30.1	+	+	Chikuhō Main Line (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line, Wakamatsu Line)
JA  18	Mizumaki	水巻	32.2	+	-		Mizumaki, Onga
JA  17	Ongagawa	遠賀川	34.3	+	-		Onga, Onga
JA  16	Ebitsu	海老津	39.4	+	*		Okagaki, Onga
JA  15	Kyōikudaimae	教育大前	44.6	+	-		Munakata
JA  14	Akama	赤間	46.5	+	+
JA  13	Tōgō	東郷	50.7	+	+
JA  12	Higashi-Fukuma	東福間	53.9	-	-		Fukutsu
JA  11	Fukuma	福間	56.6	+	+
JA  10	Chidori	千鳥	58.5	-	-		Koga
JA  09	Koga	古賀	60.6	+	+
JA  08	Shishibu	ししぶ	62.0	-	-
JA  07	Shingū-Chūō	新宮中央	63.7	-	-		Shingū, Kasuya
JA  06	Fukkōdaimae	福工大前	65.1	+	+		Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
JA  05	Kyūsandaimae	九産大前	68.1	-	-
JA  04	Kashii	香椎	69.8	+	+	Kashii Line Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line (Nishitetsu Kashii)
JA  03	Chihaya	千早	71.0	+	+	Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line (Nishitetsu Chihaya)
	Chihaya Yard	千早操車場	71.3	-	-
JA  02	Hakozaki	箱崎	75.0	-	-
JA  01	Yoshizuka	吉塚	76.4	+	+	Sasaguri Line (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line)	Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
00	Hakata	博多	78.2	+	+	■ Kūkō Line (Fukuoka City Subway) Kyushu Shinkansen, Fukuhoku Yutaka Line Hakata Minami Line, Sanyō Shinkansen
JB  01	Takeshita	竹下	80.9	-	-
JB  02	Sasabaru	笹原	83.3	-	-		Minami-ku, Fukuoka
JB  03	Minami-Fukuoka	南福岡	84.9	+	+		Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
JB  04	Kasuga	春日	86.1	-	-	Tenjin Ōmuta Line (Kasugabaru)	Kasuga
JB  05	Ōnojō	大野城	87.4	+	+		Ōnojō
JB  06	Mizuki	水城	88.8	-	-
JB  07	Tofurōminami	都府楼南	91.0	-	-		Dazaifu
JB  08	Futsukaichi	二日市	92.4	+	+	Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line (Nishitetsu Futsukaichi)	Chikushino
JB  09	Tenpaizan	天拝山	94.3	-	-	Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line (Asakuragaidō)
JB  10	Haruda	原田	97.9	+	+	Chikuhō Main Line (Haruda Line)
JB  11	Keyakidai	けやき台	99.9	-	-		Kiyama, Miyaki	Saga
JB  12	Kiyama	基山	101.4	+	+	Amagi Railway Amagi Line
JB  13	Yayoigaoka	弥生が丘	103.5	-	-		Tosu
JB  14	Tashiro	田代	105.6	-	-
	Tosu Freight Terminal	鳥栖貨物ターミナル	105.6	-	-
JB  15	Tosu	鳥栖	106.8	+	+	Nagasaki Main Line
JB  16	Hizen-Asahi	肥前旭	110.4	-	-
JB  17	Kurume	久留米	113.9	+	+	Kyushu Shinkansen, Kyūdai Main Line (Yufu Kōgen Line)	Kurume	Fukuoka
JB  18	Araki	荒木	118.8	+	+
JB  19	Nishimuta	西牟田	122.6	-	-		Chikugo
JB  20	Hainuzuka	羽犬塚	126.1	+	+
JB  21	Chikugo-Funagoya	筑後船小屋	129.7	+	+	Kyushu Shinkansen
JB  22	Setaka	瀬高	132.2	+	+		Miyama
JB  23	Minami-Setaka	南瀬高	135.2	-	-
JB  24	Wataze	渡瀬	139.1	-	-
JB  25	Yoshino	吉野	141.9	-	-		Ōmuta
JB  26	Ginsui	銀水	144.3	-	-	Nishitetsu Tenjin-Ōmuta Line (Nishitetsu Ginsui)
JB  27	Ōmuta	大牟田	147.5	+	+	Nishitetsu Tenjin-Ōmuta Line
JB  28	Arao	荒尾	151.6	+	+		Arao	Kumamoto

Arao – Yatsushiro

Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Rapid Kumamoto Liner[Note 2]	Rapid Super Orange[Note 3]	Transfers	Location
Arao	荒尾	151.6	+			Arao	Kumamoto
Minami-Arao	南荒尾	154.8	-
Nagasu	長洲	159.4	+			Nagasu, Tamana
Ōnoshimo	大野下	164.1	-			Tamana
Tamana	玉名	168.6	+
Higo-Ikura	肥後伊倉	172.8	-
Konoha	木葉	176.7	+			Gyokutō, Tamana
Tabaruzaka[Note 4]	田原坂	180.2	-			Kita-ku, Kumamoto
Ueki	植木	184.6	+
Nishisato	西里	188.8	-
Sōjōdaigakumae	崇城大学前	191.7	+			Nishi-ku, Kumamoto
Kami-Kumamoto	上熊本	193.3	+		■ Kumamoto City Tram Route 3; Kumamoto City Tram Kami-Kumamoto Line (Kami-Kumamoto-Ekimae) Kumamoto Electric Railway Kikuchi Line
Kumamoto	熊本	196.6	+	+	Kyushu Shinkansen, Hōhi Main Line (Aso Kōgen Line) ■ Kumamoto City Tram Route 2; Kumamoto City Tram Tasaki Line and Kumamoto City Tram Trunk Line (Kumamoto-Ekimae)
Kumamoto Freight Terminal	熊本(貨)	197.9	-	-
Nishi-Kumamoto	西熊本	199.8				Minami-ku, Kumamoto
Kawashiri	川尻	201.9	+	-
Tomiai	富合	205.3	+	-
Uto	宇土	207.5	+	-	Misumi Line	Uto
Matsubase	松橋	212.3	+	-		Uki
Ogawa	小川	218.5	+	-
Arisa	有佐	223.5	+	-		Yatsushiro
Senchō	千丁	227.6	+	-
Shin-Yatsushiro	新八代	229.5	+	-	Kyushu Shinkansen
Yatsushiro	八代	232.3	+	+	Hisatsu Orange Railway Line Hisatsu Line (Ebino Kōgen Line)

Sendai – Kagoshima

Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Rapid:[Note 5]	Liners[Note 5]	Transfers	Location
Sendai	川内	0.0	+	+	Hisatsu Orange Railway Line Kyushu Shinkansen	Satsumasendai	Kagoshima
Kumanojō	隈之城	2.6	-	+
Kobanchaya	木場茶屋	5.7	-	-
Kushikino	串木野	12.0	+	+		Ichikikushikino
Kamimuragakuenmae	神村学園前	14.2	-	-
Ichiki	市来	16.6	-	+
Yunomoto	湯之元	20.4	-	+		Hioki
Higashi-Ichiki	東市来	22.9	-	-
Ijūin	伊集院	28.8	+	+
Satsuma-Matsumoto	薩摩松元	34.1	-	-		Kagoshima
Kami-Ijūin	上伊集院	36.5	-	-
Hiroki	広木	41.5	-	-
Kagoshima-Chūō	鹿児島中央	46.1	+	+	Ibusuki Makurazaki Line, Kyushu Shinkansen ■ Kagoshima City Tram Route 2; Kagoshima City Tram Dai-Ni-Ki Line and Kagoshima City Tram Toso Line (Kagoshima-Chūō-Ekimae)
Kagoshima	鹿児島	49.3			Nippō Main Line ■ Kagoshima City Tram Route 1 and ■ Kagoshima City Tram Route 2; Kagoshima City Tram Dai-Ikki Line (Kagoshima-Ekimae)

Footnotes

1. All trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". Most trains do not stop at "-". Some rapid/semi rapid trains, however, make stop at all the stations northward from Hakata or Minami-Fukuoka, or southward from Hakata, Futsukaichi, or Kurume.
2. All the trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". Most trains do not stop at "-". Some Kumamoto Liner rapid trains, however, make stop at all the stations southward from Kumamoto.
3. Through service to Hisatsu Orange Railway Line.
4. Some local trains do not stop at Tabaruzaka.
5. All the trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". No trains (other than local) stop at "-". Rapid trains always run from Kagoshima-Chūō to Sendai, never the opposite direction. "Liners" here refers to Sawayaka Liner and Ohayō Liner.

Former Yatsushiro – Sendai section

This section was transferred to the Hisatsu Orange Railway Line from March 13, 2004. Some through services operate over this section.

Yatsushiro - Higo-Kōda - Hinagu (Hinagu-Onsen) - Higo-Futami - Kami-Tanoura - (Tanoura-Otachimisaki-Kōen) - Higo-Tanoura - Uminoura - Sashiki - Yunoura - Tsunagi - (Shin-Minamata) - Minamata - Fukuro - Komenotsu - Izumi - Nishi-Izumi - Takaono - Nodagō - Origuchi - Akune - Ushinohama - Satsuma-Ōkawa - Nishikata - Satsuma-Taki - Kusamichi - Kami-Sendai - Sendai

• Names in brackets are stations newly built or renamed after the line was transferred.

History

Okura line arch bridge remains over 100 years since the line closed

Chikugogawa Bridge on the Saga line in 1981

The heritage listed Chikugogawa Bridge, Saga line

Kumamoto Light Railway

Satsuma Nagano station on the Miyanojo line, a reversing (or dead end) line arrangement

The Kyushu Railway opened the 197 km Mojiko - Hakata - Kumamoto section between 1889 and 1891, extended the line south to Yatsushiro by 1896 and the company was nationalised in 1907.[1]

At the southern end the line from Kagoshima to Hayato (now part of the Nippo Main Line) opened as part of the Hisatsu Line in 1901. The Hayato to Yoshimatsu section of the Hisatsu line opened in 1903, the Yatsushiro to Hitoyoshi section opened in 1908, and the Hitoyoshi to Yoshimatsu section in 1909, providing the original connection from Kagoshima to Yatsushiro.

The Kagoshima to Sendai line opened between 1913 and 1914, and the Sendai to Yatsushiro section opened between 1922 and 1927, at which time this route replaced the Hisatsu Line to become the southern part of the Kagoshima Main Line.

In 2004, following the opening of the Kagoshima to Shin-Yatsushiro section of the Kyushu Shinkansen, the Yatsushiro to Sendai section was transferred to the third-sector Hisatsu Orange Railway.

Duplication

The Moji to Kokura section was double-tracked in 1897. The 14 km Kokura to Kurosaki section (on a new alignment to the west of the original line) opened in 1908, and was completed to Hakata by 1913. The line was double-tracked south of Hakata to Tosu between 1917 and 1921, with Tosu to Hizen Asahi opening 1934, and to Kurume in 1942.

The next section to Araki was double-tracked in 1961, to Kumamoto in 1968 and Yatsushiro in 1970. The Yunoura to Tsunagi section was double-tracked between 1966 and 1968. The line was double-tracked from Kagoshima to Higashichiki between 1969 and 1980.

Former connecting lines

The original Kokura to Kurosaki alignment avoided the coastline due to the Japanese army expressing concern at the vulnerability of a coastal route to enemy naval gunfire. A 3 km "Kokura Bypass" line (junctioning 2 km north of Kokura) to the Nippo Main Line was opened in 1903 for the same reason. However, following Japan's success in the 1904 Russo-Japanese War, this concern diminished and the Kokura to Kurosaki section was rebuilt (and duplicated) on a new easier (though 3 km longer) alignment to the west of the original line in 1908. The original 11 km section was then renamed the Okura Line and operated until 1911, when it closed together with the Kokura Bypass line.

• Ongagawa Station: An 11 km line to Muroki operated between 1908 and 1985. A 6 km 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line to Nishiashiya operated from 1915 to 1932. The Ashiya airfield was occupied by the USAF in 1945, and a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge line was built on the formation of the 762 mm gauge line to serve the airfield in 1947. Trains were mixed (i.e. freight wagons with a passenger car attached) and only available to US military personnel until 1950. The Korean War extended the use of the airfield by the USAF, and the line closed in 1961.
• Yoshizuka Station: A 14 km line to Chikuzenkatsuta opened between 1918 and 1919, hauling coal until the mine closed in 1965. The line closed in 1985.
• Futsukaichi Station: A 26 km light railway to Amagi operated between 1908 and 1940.
• Hainuzuka Station: The 20 km Yabe Line to Kuroki opened as a 915 mm (3 ft) gauge line in 1903, closing in 1940. The line was rebuilt as a 1,067 mm gauge line in 1945. Freight services ceased in 1978, and the line closed in 1985.
• Setaka Station: A 24 km line to Saga (on the Nagasaki Main Line) opened between 1931 and 1935, and closed in 1987. This line crossed three major watercourses by substantial bridges. The Kyushu Fertiliser Co. operated a 14 km line to Nankan from 1921 until 1938. The 8 km 915 mm (3 ft) gauge line to Yanagawa line operated from 1911 until 1932.
• Omuta Station: The Mitsui Mining Co. opened a 19 km line to Miike-ko coal mine in 1891. Two branch lines, 4 and 3 km long, were subsequently opened, closing in 1985 and 1969 respectively. Passenger services ceased in 1984. The majority of the system closed in 1997, when the coal fired power stations at Omuta supplied by the line converted to oil, with a 2 km section to Miyaura freight yard remaining to serve a chemical plant.
• Arao Station: A 5 km line to Midorigaoka, electrified at 500 V DC, operated from 1949 until 1964.
• Ueki Station: A 20 km line to Yamaga operated from 1917 until 1965.
• Kamikumamoto: The 22 km 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Kumamoto Light Railway to Otsu opened between 1907 and 1914, with a 2.4 km branch to Suizenji. Despite proposals to regauge the line to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge and electrify it, the anticipated development of the area did not occur at an acceptable rate and the line was closed in 1921.
• Minamata Station: The first section of the Yamano line was opened from Kurino (on the Hisatsu Line) 24 km to Yamano in 1921. The 14 km Minamata to Kugino section opened in 1934, and the 10 km Yamano to Satsuma section the following year. In 1937, the 8 km Kugino to Satsuma section, including the Okawa spiral opened. Freight services ceased in 1986, and the line closed in 1988.
• Sendai Station: The Kawamiya Railway commenced construction of a line towards Satsumaoguchi (on the Yamano line) in 1917. Construction was suspended in 1921, and the company was nationalised in 1923. Construction (as the Miyanojo Line) recommenced that year, and the 66 km line opened in stages between 1924 and 1937, closing in 1987.
• Kami Ijuin Station: The Kagoshima Prefectural Government opened a 50 km line to Makurazaki between 1914 and 1931. The JR Ibusuki Makurazaki Line connected when it opened in 1963. The line was closed in 1984 following landslides caused by torrential rain. It had two branch lines: the 16 km Ata to Chiran line opened between 1927 and 1930, and closed by landslides in 1965; and the 3 km Kaseda to Satsuma Man-sei line operated between 1916 and 1962.

References

1. Free, Dan (2008). Early Japanese Railways 1853–1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-era Japan. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-4805310069.